Garden cart



Jn. I2, 1943. G. G. BuDwlG 2,308,045

GARDEN'GART Filed Aug. 51, 1939 INVENTOK G/LBERT 500W/6' Patented Jan.12, 1943 GARDEN CART Gilbert G. Budwig, Burbank, Calif., assigner toBudwig Manufacturing Company, Inc., Burbank, Calif., a corporation ofCalifornia Application August 31, 1939, Serial No. 292,816

(Cl. 23o-51) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to wheeled land vehicles, and has for an objectthe provision of a wheeled cart adapted for hand operation and possessedof details of construction which make it particularly adapted for use asa, garden cart capable of offering much convenience in transporting suchloads as a garden wheelbarrow is intended to handle, but withconsiderably greater convenience and without requiring as much musculareffort as required by a wheelbarrow of comparable capacity.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a garden cart of thegeneral character indicated, in which especial provision is made forfacile and expeditious loading and unloading, no lifting of the materialbeing loaded or unloaded being required inasmuch as the cart is arrangedto be tipped into a position substantially corresponding to that of adust pan in use, thus facilitating placing material within, and removaltherefrom, by a simple pushing or pulling movement, as by means of anordinary garden rake.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a garden cart asdescribed, which is provided with a leg normally extended to thatposition in which it supports the cart in its operating, or transportingposition, but which is so arranged that it can be folded back to thatposition in which the cart is permitted to tip to loading and unloadingposition, with a minimum of effort on the part of the operator.

A still further object is to provide a garden cart of the generalcharacter described, of extremely simple and inexpensive construction,and yet sufiiciently rugged and durable to adapt it for the performanceof serious work in such a manner as to offer much convenience as agarden accessory.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, withY the foregoing, will be set forth in the followingdescription of the preferred form of my invention which is illustratedin the drawing accompanying and forming a part of the specification. Itis to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made bythe said drawing and description, as I may adopt variations of thepreferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in theclaim.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of a garden cart embodying theprinciples of the present invention. The cart is shown in its operating,or transporting position. Portions of the figure are broken away toreduce Vits size.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the cart tipped to itsloading or unloading position. Portions of this figure, also, are brokenaway to reduce its size.

Figure 3 is a front elevation, the direction of view being indicated bythe arrow 3 of Fig. l.

Specifically describing that embodiment of my invention which has beenchosen for illustration, my improved garden cart comprises a body 6supported on wheels 1 and provided with a handle 8 sloping upwards andaft to position its upper end at convenient elevation to permit itsbeing grasped by the hand of an operator, inasmuch as the cart isintended for hand operation. The body 6 is of substantially triangularconfiguration in longitudinal section. It comprises two opposed sideWalls 9, preferably of identical configuration, as this facilitates theprocess of manufacture, and front and backend walls Ily and I2,respectively.

The side walls are each of triangular form, and they are disposed withtheir apices downward. An inturned flange I3 is provided along eachfront and rear edge of each of the Vside walls, thus providing supportfor the front and rear end walls Il and I2, which are thus disposedinsloping relation to the horizontal when the cart is in uprightposition. These two end walls are also preferably of identicalconstruction, and they may be continuous with each other, if productionwould be facilitated by such an arrangement. At any rate, they engageeach other in a line which joins the apices of the two opposed sidewalls, thus providing an effective closure for the bottom of the cartsbody 6.

Any suitable fastening means may be resorted to to fasten the walls ofthe body 6 together, such as spot welding. All of the walls arepreferably formed of sheet metal; and their formation inl theconfiguration illustrated and described is of commercial importance,inasmuch as it has been found that these shapes lend themselves toproduction from sheet material with a minimum of Wastage of thatmaterial.

Beading I4 may be provided at the upper edges of all of the walls 9, II,and I2, in order to strengthen the body and impart rigidity thereto.

The wheels 'I are journaled upon axially aligned axle shafts I6extending laterally beyond the side walls 9. These shafts I6 are mountedin any `suitable manner, as by means of suitable brackets (not shown)and they may conveniently be formed upon opposite ends of a rod commonto both and extending. across the body 6, preferably being affixed tothe under side of the after end wall I2. The parts are so proportionedand arranged that the center of gravity of the cart is materiallyforward of the vertical plane which includes the axis of the axle shaftsE55, with the result that the cart is always under the iniluence ofgravity, urging it to tip forward to the position illustrated in Fig. 2.This is a convenient position for the cart while being loaded orunloaded, for the reason that the forward, upper edge of the front endwall Ii 'rests upon the ground or whatever other supporting surface Ilthe cart rests upon, with the result that material can conveniently beswept or raked into or out of the cart in much the same manner as acommon dust pan is used. Toward this same end, it should be observedthat the distance from the axis of the axle shafts. I6 to the line ofjuncture of the front and rear walls H and I2, respectively, is onlyslightly less than the radius of the wheels 1. This permits the frontwall Il to assume a po-sition only slightly out of parallel with thesupporting surface Il, as shown in Fig. 2. This feature, coupled withthe fact that the forward, upper edge of the front wall Il which restsupon the supporting surface Il, correspondsto the full width of the body6, thus presenting a mount or lip of maximum width, makes for the utmostconvenience in loading and unloading the cart.

Due to the inverted triangular cross sectional configuration of thecart, any material placed therein slides to the bottom of the body afterthe cart has been returned to upright position, with the result that itautomatically is caused to assume a position wherein its center ofgravity will be not far displaced from the vertical plane which includesthe center of gravity or the cart itself. Hence, whether it be empty,partly loaded, or full, the natural tendency of the cart is to tipforward to the Fig. 2 position, but not to such extent that the operatorwill experience any difficulty or inconvenience in maintaining the cartupright while wheeling it from place to place, a slight downwardpressure on the handle 8 being suflicient for this purpose.

However, means are provided for supporting the cart in its uprightposition whenever desired, so that it can be left standing withoutdanger of displacement of its contents. A supporting leg 2l is pivotallymounted upon the front end wall H, this leg preferably being formed of asuitable rod bent to substantially U-shaped configuration with axiallyaligned lateral extensions 22 at its two ends. These extensions 22 arejournaled in brackets 25 affixed to the front wall il, with the resultthat the leg 2l is mounted for swinging movement to and from itsoperating position. One of the extensions Z2 is suiiiciently longer thanthe other to permit its end 24 to be so bent that it extends around theproximal corner of the body to engage a stop bracket 25 amxed vto theassociated side wall S. The leg 2l and its stop bracket 25 are soarranged that when they are in engagement, the lower end of the leg 2|is disposed at a greater distance from the axis of the axle shafts I 6than the axis of the legs pivotal connection to the body. Hence, thedownward pressure exerted by the body against the leg 2| only serves topress the leg the more rmly into engagement with its stop bracket, withthe result that the leg cannot inadvertently become displaced and permitthe cart to tip. However, when the operator desires to tip the cart, itis necessary only to push the cart forward slightly without raising theleg from the ground, whereupon the lower end of the leg will be carriedback toward the rear of the carty land by continuing this movement ofthe cart until its forward edge contacts the ground, the leg 2l canbefolded back to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 without the necessityof any manipulation by the operator other than pushing against thehandle 8.

Aspring 2l is provided upon the leg 2l, and is so arranged that itcontinuously urges the legtoward'its operating, or supporting position.Accordingly, when the operator wishes that the cart again be supportedin its upright position, it is necessary only for him to lower thehandle 8, thus raising the front end of the cart, far enough to permitthe leg 2i to clear the ground. The spring 2l' will then swing the leg2l forward until it attains the position in which it is shown in Figuresl and 3; and when the operator subsequently lowers the front end of thecart, it will come to rest thereupon, and be supported in uprightposition. The cart is thus retained in upright position. with amplestability, for the reason that the vertical plane which includes theaxis of the pivotal mounting of the leg 2| is on the opposite side ofthe center of gravity of the cart, whether it be empty or loaded, fromthe vertical plane which includes the axis of the axle shafts I6.

I claim:

A garden cart of the character described, comprising abody, supportingwheels therefor, means mounting said wheels on said body for rotationabout an axis aft of the-center of gravity of said body whereby saidbody is continuously urged by -gravity to tip to unloading position byswinging forward and down about said axis, and means for releasablyretaining said body erect comprising a leg pivoted to the forward partof said body, means limiting forward movement of said leg to retain itin position to support the forward end of said body when said body iserect, said leg being movable from said supporting position by beingswung aft by contact of its lower end with the surface upon which it issupported when said cart is moved forward, and a spring interposedbetween said leg and said body and urging said leg to its supportingposition whereby said leg is automatically returned to supportingposition when said forward part of said body is elevatedsuiiiciently forthe lower end of said leg to clear said supporting surface.

GILBERT G. BUDW'IG.

